At 10:01 PM 4/21/98 +1000, Jill Dening wrote:
>Stephen,
>
>Would you mind explaining the difference between "preening" (which I
>understand) and "allopreening"?
Hi Jill,
Sorry about that. Allopreening is when a bird (or mammal) preens another
bird (or mammal). This behaviour is often reciprocated by the preened bird.
Allopreening usually occurs in paired adult birds, or between a parent and
a young bird, but sometimes occurs in unpaired or unrelated birds. It is
thought that allopreening helps form or strengthen pair bonds in most
cases. It also allows parts of the body to be cleaned that a bird otherwise
cannot reach (e.g. head and neck)
Best wishes,
Stephen
************************************************************
Dr Stephen Ambrose
Research Manager
Birds Australia (Royal Australasian Ornithologists Union)
Australian Bird Research Centre
415 Riversdale Road,
Hawthorn East,
VIC 3123.
Tel: +61 3 9882 2622
Fax: +61 3 9882 2677
Email:
1997 Australian Bird Research Directory is on Birds Australia's
home page: <http://www.vicnet.net.au/~birdsaus>.
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